Stock fact sheet · data as of
The Western Union Company (WU): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol WU · Financial Services · Financial - Credit Services · United States · Value Income
Is WU undervalued?
At 6.59 (close of 5 Nov 2026), WU trades 68% below the GLS average fair value of 20.66. That average comes from 9 models run on the latest filings, and 9 of them land above the current price. Margins of safety over 30% are the exception rather than the rule across the ~7,400 stocks we value each night, so the number earns The Western Union Company the full Value points in the Wheel Score - and a closer look at what the market is pricing in.
The 9 models disagree widely: Lynch gives 7.99 while DCF gives 55.13. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
Ranked against every other company we cover, WU is clearly cheaper than it is fast-growing, so the nightly engine files it under Value (value score 70, growth score 29, out of 100). It also carries the Income tag (Income = a dividend yield of 4% or more).
Nine valuation models for WU
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 55.13 | +737% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 8.27 | +26% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 24.51 | +272% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 7.99 | +21% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 12.49 | +90% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 28.40 | +331% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 23.41 | +255% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 13.83 | +110% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 11.86 | +80% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -7.54 | -214% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 6.71 | +2% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
On financial health WU scores 7/9 (Piotroski): most of the nine tests - positive earnings and cash flow, falling debt, rising margins and turnover - are passed, which is the kind of balance sheet a wheel trader is happy to be assigned. The GLS Moat score is 7.4 out of 10: a record that is solid on some of the four parts the score weighs (returns on capital, pricing power, lasting growth, balance sheet) and weaker on others.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 12.3%, ROE 52.2%, ROA 6.0% - with debt at 3.24 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 14.5%. Debt of 3.24 times equity is on the high side for the sector and is worth checking against the cash flow before treating the stock as a long-term hold.
The dividend yield is high at 14.26% (payout ratio 90%). A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual. Revenue comes mainly from Consumer Money Transfers 86%, Consumer Services 15% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 7 / 9 | ROIC | 12.3% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 7.4 / 10 | ROE | 52.2% |
| Debt / equity | 3.24 | ROA | 6.0% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 14.5% | Payout ratio | 90% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 53: Fair
WU scores 53 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Fair band, 50-69) because it fails filter 6, no serious red flags - Red Flags score 55 (under 60). A stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to reach 70. Otherwise the parts read: value strong, premium strong, moat good, health good, red flags weak, option trading strong, stability fair.
Implied volatility is 58% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. The option chain is deep: 72,000 contracts of open interest across all expiries, which means tight fills at most strikes.
Volume runs at 11.3M shares a day on a market cap of $2.1B, with a beta of 0.58 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Fails | Red Flags score 55 (under 60) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 68% below fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 58% | |
| Moat | Good | moat 7.4/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 7/9 | |
| Red Flags | Weak | Red Flags score 55/100 | |
| Option trading | Strong | 6,845 contracts a day, 72,000 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.58, $2.1B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for WU in the nightly calendar.
No analyst upgrades or downgrades were recorded in the last 30 days.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Financial - Credit Services
The 12 companies below are the closest to The Western Union Company by market cap within the Financial - Credit Services industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECPG Encore Capital Group, Inc. | 99.93 | 169.79 | +41% | 50Fair | $2.1B |
| AGM Federal Agricultural Mortgage | 205.58 | 332.98 | +38% | 80Good | $1.9B |
| UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc. | 23.38 | 22.86 | -2% | 29Weak | $2.3B |
| EZPW EZCORP, Inc. | 29.52 | 64.16 | +54% | 51Fair | $1.7B |
| PRG PROG Holdings, Inc. | 39.89 | 140.44 | +72% | 48Weak | $1.6B |
| ATLC Atlanticus Holdings Corporation | 99.75 | 502.10 | +80% | 34No options | $1.5B |
| ATLCL Atlanticus Holdings Corporation 6.125% Senior Notes due 2026 | 25.02 | 275.65 | +91% | 26No options | $1.5B |
| ATLCZ Atlanticus Holdings Corporation 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 | 25.22 | 271.56 | +91% | 28No options | $1.5B |
| ATLCP Atlanticus Holdings Corporation | 20.88 | 258.14 | +92% | 34No options | $1.3B |
| SLM SLM Corporation | 18.68 | 83.62 | +78% | 80Good | $3.5B |
| JCAP Jefferson Capital, Inc. Common Stock | 20.64 | 75.43 | +73% | 49Weak | $1.2B |
| TRNI Trinity Capital Inc. | 25.15 | 75.63 | +67% | 26No options | $1.1B |
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A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the top 10 stocks that pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about WU
Is WU undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 6.59 the stock is 68% below the average fair value of 20.66 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of WU and what does it mean?
WU scores 53 out of 100 (Fair) - it fails Wheel Trade Filter 6. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for WU?
20.66 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does The Western Union Company report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for WU in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does WU have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 30 listed contracts with 72,000 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 58% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.